Survivors of Scotland’s football abuse scandal have joined forces to demand justice, compensation and apologies for the years of torment they have suffered.Victims of paedophiles who preyed on young players have waived their anonymity to form a new campaign group.Settle the Score will urge clubs, in
www.thetimes.co.uk
Scottish football abuse survivors team up for justice
A campaign group has been founded by Malcolm Rodger, a former serviceman
Marc Horne
Thursday April 02 2020, 12.00am BST, The Times
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Survivors of Scotland’s football abuse scandal have joined forces to demand justice, compensation and apologies for the years of torment they have suffered.
Victims of paedophiles who preyed on young players have waived their anonymity to form a new campaign group.
Settle the Score will urge clubs, including Celtic, Rangers, Hibernian and Dundee United, as well as the Scottish FA, to follow the example of Manchester City who have pledged to compensate and apologise to abuse victims.
The campaign was launched ahead of the publication of the final report of the Independent Review into Sexual Abuse Within Scottish Football, which will highlight the endemic scale of the scandal.
The group was founded by Malcolm Rodger, a former serviceman , Bill Storrie, a financial adviser — both of whom were abused by the prolific paedophile Bill Kelly — and Michelle Gray, whose brother Andrew was a victim of Jim Torbett — the Celtic Boys Club coach and serial abuser.
In a statement they said: “Up until a few weeks ago, none of us knew each other.
“What brought us together was the difficult decision, that each of us made separately, to break our silence and speak publicly about the abuse that we, and our loved ones, suffered.
“Alone and isolated no more, we have teamed up to speak with one voice to demand justice.”
They added: “For far too long powerful clubs and organisations have prioritised the protection of their reputations over and above their responsibility to do the right thing for the vulnerable youngsters who were in their care.”
Mr Rodger, 49, who served in Bosnia and the first Gulf War, was abused by Kelly, his former coach at the now defunct West Lothian club Uphall Saints over a two-year period in the 1980s.
He says that he was assaulted separately by Barry Bennell, 66, a former scout with Manchester City, and Jim McCafferty, 74, a former Celtic kitman and boy’s club coach, after being introduced to them by Kelly.
Both Bennell and McCafferty are now serving jail sentences after being convicted of abusing young players.
Mr Rodger said: “This needs to be put right so that those, like me, who had their dreams shattered and careers destroyed can at last get peace.”
Mr Storrie added: “We are now a group supporting each other but we are still being deflected by politicians, ruling bodies and football clubs.”
Ms Gray, whose brother gave evidence which helped to convict Torbett before he died in a swimming pool accident in Australia in 2017, said: “We will never give up fighting for the truth and justice that Andrew and so many others deserve.”
Four men who held senior roles with Celtic Boys Club have been convicted of sexual abuse.
Celtic FC has said that it is sorry that abuse took place but continues to insist that it was a separate entity to its feeder club.
The SFA has said it is awaiting the publication of the independent review.